Bored of traditional drum machines? Try using marbles… in virtual reality. ‘Drops’ is a new system from Planeta, a multimedia studio focussed on virtual and augmented reality experiences. It’s been described as “a musical instrument driven by the beat and flow of cascading marbles as they strike multi-tonal blocks.”
Dust off your virtual reality headset – Planeta’s ‘Drops: Rhythm Garden’ offers buckets of creative potential with their futuristic alternative to the humble drum machine.
Most agree that virtual reality has the ability to shape the future, however until now, there have been limited applications in a musical context.
Drops: Rhythm Garden allows the user to manipulate a stream of marbles, which strike percussive objects such as blocks, planks, drums as well as some instruments like flutes and chimes. A natural soundscape consisting of water, birds, wind and grass sets a serene background – Planeta intended the experience to aid in mindfulness.
The design forces a user to use strategy to fine tune their work into elaborate polyphonic rhythms. Planeta state that Drops requires little to no background knowledge of music and is “easy to pick up and hard to put down”. The initial release features sounds created with musician Patrick Russel and composer Patrick Higgins. Check it out below.
For more information check out Drops: Rhythm Garden on the Oculus store or on Steam.
Related Posts
Play a Modular Synth in Virtual Reality With ‘Synthmulator’ The crazy world of virtual reality, a place where you can live out your wildest dreams, taking on extreme sports, exploring the world and now... tinkering with a modular synthesiser. […]
Volca Drum is KORG’s Innovative Digital Drum Machine Alongside the decidedly analog Modular, KORG has welcomed a new digital machine to the fold. The Volca Drum introduces an innovative digital architecture and deep flexibility for a tiny […]
Groundwork & Headspace: Tips For Pre-Production If you’ve played in bands, or known other artists that have spent time in professional recording studios, you might have heard the phrase pre-production. If you’re in a band, with a […]
Loog Launches Educational Guitars for Youngsters on Kickstarter Loog has just announced the release of their new guitar range to Kickstarter in their fourth company campaign. In 2011, the original Loog Guitar launched via Kickstarter, raising $65,618 […]
Emulating the Synth Sounds of Blade Runner on a microKORG The Blade Runner soundtrack, composed by Vangelis, looms large in the canon 80s analog synthesis. Youtuber StrangeQuarkStar has recreated an especially memorable melodic brass patch on the […]
Play a Modular Synth in Virtual Reality With ‘Synthmulator’ The crazy world of virtual reality, a place where you can live out your wildest dreams, taking on extreme sports, exploring the world and now... tinkering with a modular synthesiser. […]
Volca Drum is KORG’s Innovative Digital Drum Machine Alongside the decidedly analog Modular, KORG has welcomed a new digital machine to the fold. The Volca Drum introduces an innovative digital architecture and deep flexibility for a tiny […]
Groundwork & Headspace: Tips For Pre-Production If you’ve played in bands, or known other artists that have spent time in professional recording studios, you might have heard the phrase pre-production. If you’re in a band, with a […]
Loog Launches Educational Guitars for Youngsters on Kickstarter Loog has just announced the release of their new guitar range to Kickstarter in their fourth company campaign. In 2011, the original Loog Guitar launched via Kickstarter, raising $65,618 […]
Emulating the Synth Sounds of Blade Runner on a microKORG The Blade Runner soundtrack, composed by Vangelis, looms large in the canon 80s analog synthesis. Youtuber StrangeQuarkStar has recreated an especially memorable melodic brass patch on the […]